ED Nursing Archives – September 1, 2011
September 1, 2011
View Issues
-
Act immediately if elders present to ED with dangerous adverse drug reactions
An elderly womans bruising and gastrointestinal bleeding turned out to be caused by taking more than triple the dose of her warfarin medication for several days, reports Jeannette Witzel, RN, CEN, an ED nurse at Ukiah (CA) Valley Medical Center. -
Prevent bad outcomes with procedural sedation meds
If procedural sedation is longer-term, or if your patient has pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, consider monitoring end tidal carbon dioxide (CO2), advises Leah M. Gehri, RN, MN, CCRN, director of emergency, trauma, and cardiac services at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, WA. -
Expect repeat ED visits from pediatric psych patients
Just because a child with mental health issues is connected with an outpatient provider doesnt mean he or she wont come to the ED frequently for care, according to research from Johns Hopkins Childrens Center. -
Do you always obtain an EKG under 10 minutes?
Obtaining an EKG in a timely manner is critical, says Brian W. Selig, MHA, BSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, nurse manager of the ED at the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, MO, especially with the recent emphasis on time-critical diagnosis by the Joint Commission and [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.] -
ED revamps stroke care to get rapid CTs and treatment
ED nurses at Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, ME, have dramatically shortened door-to-CT and door-to-drug times with a Code Stroke program, reports Sean Hall, RN, one of the hospitals ED nurses. -
You’ll be caring for sicker asthma patients in your ED
Asthma patients have worse outcomes and more hospitalizations if they wait too long before coming to the ED, according to a recent study, which found that one-third of 296 asthma patients seen in two New York City EDs waited more than five days before they decided to go to the ED.